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Ford: We're Canceling $1.6 Billion Mexico Facility, Investing In Electric and US Plant (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Today at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Ford Motor Company CEO Mark Fields unveiled a large-scale electric vehicle initiative that will run through the company's next five years. Ford plans to invest $4.5 billion in electric vehicle production by 2020, and the company said it will produce 13 new electric vehicles, including a Mustang, an F-150, police cars, and a Transit Custom van. Additionally, Fields revealed that Ford would be canceling a previously announced $1.6 billion-production facility in Mexico. Instead, the company wants to invest $700 million in the existing Flat Rock facility, generating 700 new jobs focused on EV and autonomous initiatives at that location, according to Ford. Ford described seven of the 13 upcoming EVs during its press conference today. The F-150 Hybrid will be available by 2020 in North America and the Middle East, and Fields noted it'll be powerful enough to stand-in for on-site generators in a pinch. The Mustang Hybrid will deliver "V8 power and even more low-end torque" according to Ford; it too is intended for a 2020 release. Generally, electric motors are well suited to applications where you want a lot of immediate torque, so their presence should work well in a light duty truck like the F-150. Among the other notable vehicles highlighted, Ford is planning a fully electric small SUV that can "deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles" by 2020. The company also wants to produce an autonomous vehicle "designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing" in North America by 2021.
While this is ultimately an economic decision (small car sales are waaaay down and Ford doesn't need another factory), I can't imagine the threat of tariffs didn't factor into the decision to cancel the Mexican factory. Nevertheless, it's amazing how the online comments sections are taking a black vs.white/pro vs. anti-Trump side to a nuanced subject.
Ultimately, this is good news for Michigan workers, whether or not we bring politics into the discussion.
I've alway been a fan of ford, but they have been dragging ass for a long time, only just barely innovating for the last few years. I'm glad they finally realize that they are going to need to really start pulling more into electric and hybrids. I think the biggest thing pushing them is actually emissions. From my understanding it's impossible for a big V8 to pass the new emissions regulations that will be even more stringent next few years.
Everybody knows Ford sucks. Hard. They haven't won a NASCAR championship in years.
Is there even a single part on a modern NASCAR car that has any relation at all to an actual production vehicle?
I think that argument is kind of like "Law degrees from Yale suck: Their football record was only 3-7 this year."
Why are Mexican jobs my responsibility? Where were you when people were losing their jobs in the US?
Why do you hate America?
I love my country, which is why I want it to stay competitive. Factory payrolls, construction contracts, and industrial production all increased after the Smoot-Hawley act as well, but the Great Depression was a grim reminder of what happens when countries try for short term gains through protectionist measures.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
I wonder why, in the spirit of your post, you haven't offshored your own job to a dozen workers in India, China, or the Ukraine? You're costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars and dozens of jobs...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
A really big part of the good that will come out of a Trump presidency is that Congress will now clip the wings of the Executive Branch and widespread out-of-control Executive Orders will become a thing of the past.
FALSE!
The REAL reason Ford won't go to Mexico has nothing to do with Trump says Ford CEO